Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

In order to be flown by a sport pilot, the resulting airplane must still meet the current regulations—1,320 pounds maximum gross weight, 120 knots max cruise speed, for example—but how it gets there is up to the builder. The rudder hardly calls attention to itself outside of having plenty of authority. Vso approach speed is 53 knots.

Airplanes

Flying Magazine

JUNE 23, 2025

Often, a contract second pilot’s job is to shut up, make good radio calls and be snappy with the baggage, so I wasn’t sure what to say as we approached Lake Michigan. Some of these are quite precise: for one Cessna single, the procedure is to establish a 300 fpm descent at 55 knots.

Pilot

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

Set your power and speed for the maneuver, maintaining a steady airspeed typically 10-20 knots above stall speed to allow for a margin of safety. Coordinate with the rudder to prevent adverse yaw and keep the turn balanced. A standard steep turn involves a sustained 45° bank, maintaining altitude ±100 feet and airspeed ±10 knots.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

JULY 2, 2025

For climbing, full or recommended climb power is usually employed, and for descent or landing approach, a power setting that produces the desired descent rate is selected. Putting your right foot on the rudder pedal and neutralizing the ailerons cancels the drag and the VS1 goes up a little more.

Descent

CFI Academy

MARCH 28, 2025

Here’s what they are and what you need to understand about each: Crossed-Control Stall What It Is: This stall occurs when the aircraft is in a skidding turn, typically with ailerons applied in one direction and rudder in the opposite direction (e.g., left aileron, right rudder). 65 knots in a Cessna 172).

Aileron

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Just to be clear, although I avoid flying in “hard” IFR, all of my IFR practice includes approaches to minimums, go-arounds, and holding patterns—just in case. The FAA weather said a thunderstorm was forecast, gusts to 6 knots. Full flaps and 80 knots, trimmed, the airplane asked, is this what I really wanted?

Weather

Flying Magazine

JULY 18, 2025

It has compatibility with third-party flight displays, envelope protection, and full approach coupling. There’s also automatic low airspeed protection when below VMCA, plus 15 knots indicated. A final thought on autopilot upgrades is the Genesys Aerosystems S-TEC 3100 digital autopilot. Fusion includes three 14.1-inch

Flight Deck

Air Facts

APRIL 9, 2025

Its easy to imagine reading the NTSB report about an influencer on YouTube or Instagram who crashed while livestreaming on final approach (Can I land in a 40-knot crosswind? This is a great way to refresh your stick and rudder skills, practice old fashioned situational awareness, and (no less importantly) have fun.

Weather

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. Increasing The Aircraft Speed Small, light, and low-powered aircraft such as the Cessna 172 have a relatively narrow operational speed range ranging from 40 knots up to about 160 knots. This is where the rudder comes in. What Is an Aileron?

Aileron

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

When learning how to land a Piper Seminole, it is crucial to understand the role of each engine in the approach and landing phases. Pilots must be proficient in managing engine power, especially during the approach, where power settings and speed management are critical to a smooth and safe landing.

Descent

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 25, 2025

After a low pass for the public and the press that had gathered to watch, Captain Thomas made the approach on runway 36 north. The aircraft had to land into a 15-knot crosswind, and the plane landed at a speed of 115 mph, well below the standard landing speed of between 150-175 mph.

Cockpit

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 26, 2025

“Red line is 3,200 rpm, but we’ve got the yellow arc because under the current light sport rules you’re limited to 120 knots,” said Hunton. Using the trim tab that was admittedly growing on me, I released forward pressure on the stick and was impressed with a 122-knot cruising speed.

Aileron

AV Web

JULY 1, 2025

The max stall speed is 45 knots and the max full-power cruising speed is 120 KCAS. In reality, they’re far easier to prang and the right instruction teaches a very different approach to landing them compared to heavier birds. The better approach is flying it on like an ultralight—carrying power all the way into the flare.

Gross Weight

AV Web

JANUARY 22, 2025

Winds were from 290 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 21 knots. Yet all indications are he succumbed to a simple stall on final approach. On final approach for a third landing and following a Zenith STOL 701 also on final, the accident airplane descended and appeared to be lower than the airplane ahead.

Final Approach

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

The pilot applied right rudder in an attempt to correct this, resulting in a ground loop. After arriving at the destination airstrip the student entered left downwind for Runway 13, resulting in a right quartering tailwind of about 5 knots. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

Density Altitude

Flying Magazine

JULY 17, 2025

Aside from its ramp appeal, pilots were intrigued with its high-flying pressurized cabin, 200-knot cruise speed, and impressive range. As one owner said, the thing looked like it was going 200 knots sitting on the ground. It’s a lesson in how any owner should approach upkeep. Sharp stick-and-rudder work in crosswinds is a must.

Knot

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 1, 2025

Even on the approach to runway 27R, despite being made against a gusty headwind rushing over terrain and through a valley, few burbles were hurled at the landing aircraft. The "400" refers to the eight cylinder, 400 horsepower Lycoming IO-720 powerplant shoehorned into the cowling that gave this beast a 185 knot (213 mph) cruise speed.

Airplanes

Flying Magazine

JULY 11, 2025

This allows the DC-6 to be flown by both the novice and advanced sim pilot, making the DC-6 approachable despite the complete systems modeling. I was soon watching the countryside of western Connecticut out the captain’s left window as I approached my top of descent over KBDL. The soundtrack of the engines in cruise was spot on.

Flight Deck

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

This is the result of the flight crew performing a full and free movement check to ensure that all flight control surfaces (ailerons, rudder, elevators) are working correctly and the aircraft is fit to fly before taking to the air. After reaching 100 knots, the aircraft will continue to accelerate to what is referred to as its V1 speed.

Cabin Crew

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

Though wind is reported using such simple numbers like 270@15G20, I’ve come to believe that 20 knots here is not always the same as 20 knots there. I did a checkride in 30 knot winds in the flatlands of Kansas, almost straight down the runway. Then came the landing in 20 knots in the Hill Country of Texas, west of Austin.

Crosswind

Fear of Landing

JUNE 28, 2024

CABRI G2 SERVICE LETTER 12-001 Yaw control in approach It is recommended to keep this letter with the Flight Manual. In the event of an unintentional left yaw, the pilot must immediately apply right rudder, that is, firmly apply pressure on the right rudder pedal. The weather was clear. The helicopter continued rotating left.

Rudder

Air Facts

MAY 24, 2024

With a little forward pressure on the yoke, I was able to keep the airplane on the runway to continue picking up airspeed as we arrived at my target of 60 knots for takeoff. As soon as we hit 60 knots indicated, I lightly pulled back on the yoke and the airplane popped right off the ground. Approach switched me to Tower.

Aileron

Air Facts

JANUARY 13, 2025

Even the normally aspirated version (which is less popular than the turbo) climbs to 11,000 feet pretty easily, where it will cruise at over 160 knots on less than 15 gallons per hour. Theres no Purple Heart for shooting an instrument approach to minimums without looking at an MFD. No rudder trim. Its noisy.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

These were small pedals at the base of the rudder pedals that give the same differential control as toe brakes, but you push your heels in for brake application. For that matter, we’re not all flying around with toe brakes. Many airplanes from the golden age of aviation came with heel brakes, such as Piper Cubs and Aeronca Champs.

Rudder

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

This 172 had a flap extension speed of 85 knots, and my old Cessna 172’s limit was 100 mph, or 87 knots. The 172 has a steerable nosewheel, much heavier than the rudders on my RV-9A with a castering nosewheel. Hmm, OK, how about the LPV approach? We have to ask for GPS approaches.)

Pitot Tube

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 18, 2024

” Bristol Bulldog at Tillamook Airport After a short time in the air, Storo circled around to approach Tillamook Airport setting up for landing. The tail touched down hard, but to save the landing—and the airplane—Storo put power to it and went around for another approach. It’s the rudder that is doing everything.

Crosswind

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 3, 2024

Most fatalities occurred during takeoff, climb, and go-around rather than the approach to landing. Let’s take a look at how the pros train, and then consider our approach to stall and spin training with a focus on prevention. However, there are some airplanes where the approach to a stall is practiced in flight.

Airplanes

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

This system includes modes for: roll pitch heading vertical speed altitude hold approach These modes allow for a steady rate of descent, ascent, and consistent speed and altitude ranges. For instance, Knots 2U offers a Cessna 172 Cowl / Body Fairing Kit that improves aerodynamics and can increase cruise speed by 3-4 mph.

Knot

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

The weather briefing we had reviewed a half hour earlier promised a 20-knot headwind that would require two fuel stops on the 130-mile trip from our home airport in Kennett, Missouri (KTKX), to Little Rock Air Force Base (KLRF) in Arkansas. The windsock promised that getting the little yellow bird into the air would be a white-knuckle affair.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

In order to be flown by a sport pilot, the resulting airplane must still meet the current regulations—1,320 pounds maximum gross weight, 120 knots max cruise speed, for example—but how it gets there is up to the builder. The rudder hardly calls attention to itself outside of having plenty of authority. Vso approach speed is 53 knots.

Airplanes

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Camera at the Ready We passed from Syracuse, through multiple sectors of Boston Center, and ultimately to Boston Approach once within the boundaries of New Hampshire. The Bear wielded her trusty Nikon like a pro and captured our approach and landing. A target moved across my traffic display at 450 knots (518 miles per hour). "I

Runway

Flying Magazine

MAY 14, 2024

The latest version of the nonturbocharged SR22, the recently unveiled G7, boasts a top cruise speed of 181 knots, 1,169 nm range, and useful load of 1,326 pounds. In general, the SR22 is faster than many trainers and a bit less forgiving than something like a Cessna 172, particularly when it comes to approach and landing speeds.

Knot

Ask Captain Lim

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Recently, the pilot of a Malaysia Airlines A350 earned praise on social media for expertly handling a demanding final approach in London’s Heathrow Airport during a storm that struck Britain. In contrast, Boeing aircraft often use the wing-low technique, maintaining alignment with the runway throughout the approach and landing.

Crosswind

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Briefing A pre-landing briefing highlights essential points critical to the approach and landing phase. Brief that you will use the right rudder to align the aircraft straight with the runway and the left aileron to counteract drift. It also allows you to focus on flying during the last stages of the approach and landing.

Airplanes

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

Key Takeaways Start by setting up your approach correctly to ensure you arrive at the threshold perfectly every time. Perfect the approach phase by managing the aircraft’s energy and using references to improve positioning throughout the pattern. Flying the Approach Haphazard approaches are very likely to lead to haphazard landings.

Descent

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

READ MORE: Cirrus Adds Second Vision Jet Simulator In this scenario, the options are a 180-degree turn using only rudder to avoid overbanking—common when you lose the outside horizon reference—to get back to VFR conditions or contacting ATC to ask where the nearest VFR is. It might be no greater than 6 knots with gusts to 10 mph.

Crosswind

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

In the Cessna 172S Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), the landing distance decreases by 10% for every 9 knots of headwind. For the Cessna 172, landing distance increases by 10% for every 2 knots of tailwind. It only takes a 10% increase in approach speed to increase the landing roll by 20%.

Weight-Shift-Control